Chamfort

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

1. The most wasted day is the one without laughter.

   Chamfort was a sharp critic of his society, and still he counted a day without laughter as the true waste. Work and worry fill the hours, but a day with no lightness in it is one you did not really live. Make room for something that makes you laugh, every day.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 1, Maximes générales, our translation from the French

2. In big things people show what they choose. In small things, what they are.

   On a stage everyone performs. Character shows in the unwatched moments: how someone treats a waiter, keeps a small promise or splits a bill. Judge others by the little things, and hold yourself to the same test.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 1, Maximes générales, our translation from the French

3. Without character you are not a man. You are a thing.

   A person with no firm values is pushed around like an object, used and moved by whoever holds them. Chamfort says that is what you become without character. Decide what you stand for, or someone else will decide it for you.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 4, Du goût pour la retraite et de la dignité du caractère, our translation from the French

4. Carry Diogenes' lantern, carry his stick too.

   Diogenes walked Athens with a lamp looking for an honest man, and carried a staff as well. Chamfort's point: a clever mind is lost without the strength of character to defend itself. If you are going to see clearly and say so, be ready to stand your ground.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 4, Du goût pour la retraite et de la dignité du caractère, our translation from the French

5. Nature never said be rich. It shouts: be independent.

   Wealth is not the real goal; freedom is. Chamfort would rather be poor and his own master than rich and at someone's beck and call. Measure your choices by how much they leave you free, not by how much they pay.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 4, Du goût pour la retraite et de la dignité du caractère, our translation from the French

6. The richest man is the thrifty one. The poorest is the miser.

   The thrifty person spends with care and so always has enough. The miser hoards and still feels poor, because nothing is ever enough. Wealth is a relationship with money, not a number: use it wisely and you are rich at any income.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 2, Suite des maximes générales, our translation from the French

7. Fame: being known by people who don't know you.

   Strangers recognise your name and know nothing about you. Chamfort deflates the whole prize in one line. Followers and recognition are worth far less than being truly known by a few people.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 2, Suite des maximes générales, our translation from the French

8. My first sorrows became armor against the rest.

   Early pain hardens into protection. Once you have come through a real loss, later blows land on something tougher. Do not waste your hard times; let them become the plate you wear.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 5, Pensées morales, our translation from the French

9. Act more. Think less. Stop watching yourself live.

   Chamfort found the contemplative life often miserable. Too much self-observation turns a person into the audience of their own life. Get out of your head, do the thing, and let the reflection come later.

   Maximes et pensées, ch. 5, Pensées morales, our translation from the French

10. Fortune will reach me on my character's terms.

    Chamfort would take success only if it came without bending who he was. Luck can be welcomed, but not at the price of your principles. Set your terms first; whatever arrives has to meet them.

    Maximes et pensées, ch. 5, Pensées morales, our translation from the French

11. To despise money is to dethrone a king.

    Money rules most lives like a monarch. The person who genuinely does not care for it has overthrown that ruler and gained a rare freedom. You still need to earn a living; just do not let money sit on the throne.

    Maximes et pensées, ch. 2, Suite des maximes générales, our translation from the French